Welcome to Afronerd!
A new and needed web sanctuary for people of color with intellectual and artistic pursuits. In this blog we will be addressing interesting and varied subjects, i.e. current national/world affairs, culture, science, religion, politics, entertainment and literature(including graphic novels a/k/a comic books.....yes comics). We hope you enjoy the exchange of ideas.
Peace & Godspeed.

Mission

Welcome to Afronerd! A new and needed web sanctuary for people of color with intellectual and artistic pursuits. In this blog we will be addressing interesting and varied subjects, i.e. current national/world affairs, culture, science, religion, politics, entertainment and literature(including graphic novels a/k/a comic books.....yes comics). We hope you enjoy the exchange of ideas. Peace & Godspeed

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Thursday, August 30, 2007

No editorializing needed. This young lady speaks the unattractive truth (shout out to Mr. Starks). Hat tip to the blogger of Cranky Memoirs for this jewel. Please folks let's pass this snippet around. Mind you, this needs to get a million plus views-Tay Zonday be damned (just kidding, Tay):

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

One could easily label me the consumate New Yorker perhaps much to the chagrin of a few of my friends. Some of my cohorts have become disappointed with the cost of living in the Big Apple opting to move to the southern region of the country. Call me a sucker for culture, although I really can not fault these folks for moving as living in the city (or the neighboring boroughs/states) can be a daunting task. Another interesting anecdote about the city that never sleeps is the alleged perception of cultural interconnectedness. New York City despite being the alleged bastion of liberalism (somewhat debunked by the succesful mayoral tenures of Sir Rudy and Bloomberg) and cultural diversity does have one innate problem-de facto segregation. There are certainly pockets of social cross-pollination but for the most part neighborhoods exist across racial and ethnic lines. So imagine my delite when I discovered that one of my favorite reads, Time Out New York had a special issue devoted to Race-appropriately titled, The Race Issue. Here is an excerpt from the issue in question:

Two weeks back, the headlines trumpeted this eye-popping statistic: Due to cost of living, African-American communities are fleeing New York City, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, their population dropping by more than 40,000 in the past six years. Meanwhile, groups identifying themselves as Hispanic or Asian saw bumps of 90,000 apiece over the same period—a sizable increase.

What’s that got to do with you, Mr. and Mrs. C+ in Social Studies? Well, you gotta wonder: How’s all this cultural and ethnic shifting going to affect the way you live? Will Brooklyn become predominantly Muslim or Hindu, as Indians and Pakistanis inhabit more ’hoods? Will the Bronx become primarily Latino? Can Manhattan—which just saw a rise in Caucasians—get any whiter? Most important, will groups continue to self-segregate, and what will that mean for the city?

The entire magazine is available online and once you guys get a chance to read it, let us know what you think. Is this phenomenon occurring in your city? And if you live in the NY Tri-State area, how accurate is Time Out's synopsis of NYC's current racial status? Check out the mag in its entirety below:

*************************************************************************************And Now for the Classics-hard to believe this was a decade ago and yet remains poignant. I would say excuse the expletives but even I'm tired, tired, tired:

Please accept my apologies for not bringing this to your attention sooner as I had wished to have had our readers listen in live-but there's always the archives! But I have to give thanks to Pacifica for giving me the opportunity to discuss blogging issues for people of color. Now I just have to connect with radio outlets on the right for similar opportunities. The progressives seem to be showing us love for some reason....lol. Anyway, check out the link below to hear the show online:

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

First off, I must give a hat tip to Beauty In Baltimore’s blog for initially highlighting the above clip. In my estimation, it serves as an example of the demise and feminization of the Black male image and is an affront to Black manhood. If it’s not a gay tryst or homoerotic thuggery then it’s socio-economically impotent men of color that are promoted in mainstream culture-not the strong, resilient and/or heroic male role models that the African-American community so desperately needs. Wasn't it Dave Chappelle (during his Oprah interview) that suggested that Black actors must put on a dress upon entering Hollywood's city limits? So let’s flesh this topic out folks. What does it mean to be a Black man in 2007? What are our responsibilities? Are we failing or are we thriving? Perhaps neither. We ask our readers to drop by Thursday the 30th at 9pm and give us a call or an email to discuss these issues. Join us as we ask these questions and more at: 646-915-9620 or via IM/email (afronerdradio@yahoo). Just visit us at afronerd radio dot com.

Monday, August 27, 2007

If the gentleman's do-rag didn't give it away, he is yet another foolish football player (college level, this time..heaven help us if he makes the pros) who would be better off just keeping his mouth and private proclivities quiet. I was just paying my daily visit to fellow conservative, Debbie Schlussel's blog when she highlighted the young "man's" recent comments about preferring to date White women and went as far as dubbing himself a white girl man. Oh and the football player in question is Chris Rainey, running back for the University of Florida Gators. I'm pretty sure that our readers know that I view preferential dating by anyone as a sign of ignorance and primitivism.

Note to the class-I detest primitivism. I would be dishonest if I didn't find many types of women attractive. But should one make proclamatory statements about dating habits? I also do not tolerate forced tribalism. This can be displayed by some of Ms. Schlussel's commenters, who take statements by lower tier people of color and transpose them to all Black folk. I could care less because it truly is a an exercise in futility. But I must remain undeterred in our quest to showcase the many different facets of Blackness and that one person does not and should not be in a position to represent an entire race of people. But then this is just pedantic...we have bigger fish to fry. Check out what the peanut gallery has to say about one fool's remarks:

P.S. It looks like we can throw hip hop producer, Polow da Don on the George Foreman grill for similar remarks. Again, an individual should date who he/she wants to date but making statements that one set of people are better than another group displays ignorance to the nth degree. Check out Eurweb's take on the Polow mess:

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Heads Up and FYI!! One of our supporters and on point commenters, Sergio just notified me that he is doing a classical music show scheduled for tomorrow-courtesy of Chicago's WHPK. Sergio will be playing some of the greats-i.e. Rachmaninoff's Sym. No. 1 (conducted by Mariss Jansons) Mozart's first opera Apollo and Hyacinthus and Robert Schumann's Sym. No. 2 (Leonard Bernstein conducting). Let's Lend him our support and check him out between 12pm and 3pm, central time. Hey, some of us need to lay off the Jay-z and listen to some Bach. It's all in the debunking of stereotypes folks!

Unfortunately, I'm finding out about another BET cartoon after the dust has settled but it appears that this film short has a far more positive edge to it than the cable network's last effort, Read a Book. I posted an entry analyzing the Book animated effort as being somewhat disingenuous towards its audience. BET essentially tried to lambaste or critique an audience (much like what Hot Ghetto Mess purports to do) that it helped to create. Think of a drug dealer dissuading his customer base from buying the narcotics that he sells-that's BET. Nevertheless, I found out about the Bid Em' In cartoon while perusing today's NY Times piece on the controversy brewing around Read a Book. Check out the Times take on the issue:

BET Says Cartoon Was Just a Satire

By MARIA ASPANPublished: August 27, 2007Black Entertainment Television’s new animation division seems to have stepped right into a pitfall of self-parody: a short cartoon video it introduced on July 20, “Read a Book,” seems to flaunt every negative stereotype in the African-American community.

In a gloss on the hip-hop videos frequently shown on BET, an animated rapper named D’Mite comes on with what looks like a public service message about the benefits of reading, but devolves into a foul-mouthed song accompanied by images of black men shooting guns loaded with books and gyrating black women with the word “book” written on the back of their low-slung pants. The uncensored cut is making the rounds on YouTube, while a cleaner version was shown on BET.

The cartoon, which represents an effort by the network to broaden its programming, was the subject of an article on Friday in The Los Angeles Times, which noted that the network has been “long criticized for showing gangsta rap videos and those with scantily clad female dancers.”

“It’s meant to be very satirical, and in a real way kind of mimics and mocks the current state of hip-hop and hip-hop videos,” said Denys Cowan, senior vice president of animation for BET. He said the video was not part of any literacy campaign or “Schoolhouse Rock” alternative, but was intended for BET’s demographic of 18- to 34-year-olds.

Opinion online has been divided. Someone who posted the video on YouTube praised its “positive message” and “social satire,” while another anonymous user uploaded it under the title, “BET racist rap?”

“Read a Book” makes an especially jarring contrast with another animated short in rotation on the network, “Bid ’Em In,” a sharp and sober depiction of a slave auction.

Mr. Cowan said the contrast was a deliberate reflection of the broad range of projects that his division hopes to tackle.

“They’re not the same, and there’s room for both of them on the network,” he said. “We don’t want to underestimate our audience’s ability to understand what they’re looking at. There is no one monolithic black way of doing things.”

And for those who couldn't get enough of Without Prejudice, let's take a gander at another episode:

Saturday, August 25, 2007

One can never say that writing this blog doesn't come with some perks. It's not uncommon to receive music, books, dvds and this time around I was approached by a representative from the GSN (Game Show Network) to review their latest effort, Without Prejudice. Hopefully, we will receive more tv show/movie pre-screeners (hint, hint) in the near future. I was also able to do a brief phone interview with the host of the show, Dr. Robi Ludwig a few weeks ago. Prejudice, like so many American shows is an adaptation of a successful British program that appears to meld the Rorschach inkblot test with precepts espoused in Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller, Blink. Anyone who is familiar with Blink, it's one long supposition exclaiming the virtues of decision making based on instinct.

Without Prejudice essentially does the same thing with $25,000 hanging in the balance. Five judges (who the viewing audience ironically knows nothing about) are put in the position to choose a winner among five other strangers/contestants based on limited information. In a nutshell, a winner is chosen just based on a nebulous likability factor-just for being you is the mantra. I, like so many other televison watchers have grown leery of reality based shows and despite the fact that my tv viewing time has grown quite limited, I still recognize the contestants and judges from other shows-think Pee Wee Herman on the Dating Game. And anytime reality shows need writers, I become even more suspicious. But having said all of that, I must admit that the show is entertaining. If folks were to speak more truthfully about these matters, I suspect that many of us use a certain level of instantaneous discernment when approaching strangers. Trust me.....as a New Yorker I judge people-it's the only way to travel....and survive. As a treat, I posted a full length episode. So what do you guys think? Yay or Nay for future episodes and/or another season? And remember- don't be prejudiced.

The first time we touched upon the topic of Black Pride in the 21st century, we used Malcolm X as a backdrop. We have been compelled to do a part two on this subject and now we are using another one of the greats, Paul Robeson. How does a conservative embrace someone who represented the left with such intensity you may ask. The answer.....quite easily. As a student of history, it appeared to be the way to go at a time during a burgeoning Civil Rights movement. Just as Macolm changed his beliefs on racial separatism, we do not know if Robeson might have implemented similar changes. We ask our readers to drop by Sunday the 26th at 8pm and give us a call or an email to discuss these issues. What can we do to engender pride in our youth? Is there a modern day Robeson or Malcolm X? Or should there be? Do you feel Black pride? Join us as we ask these questions and more at: 646-915-9620 or via IM/email (afronerdradio@yahoo). Just visit us at afronerd radio dot com.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Although he was preparing for a comeback, Eddie Griffin was never able to escape the personal issues in his life. Fame and fortune were not enough...

Griffin never able to shake his demons

By JOHN P. LOPEZCopyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

There are moments when even amid the intensity and focus of his daily workouts with millionaire basketball stars, former Rockets guard and NBA coach John Lucas pauses.

And he thinks. He thinks of one who slipped away.

"I should have fought harder," Lucas said Thursday morning, after working out dozens of NBA players who, like Eddie Griffin, came to Lucas just wanting to get better at basketball and life.

They come to Lucas, who has been a recovering drug and alcohol addict for 21 years, from all over the league and every college basketball program imaginable.

In search of a directionThey come to him out of high school and from AAU programs. All are searching for basketball direction. And some just want direction.

That was Griffin, 25, the distant, often-troubled star who died last week here when the sport utility vehicle he was driving sped through railroad warning lights and a railroad arm, into a moving train. The scene was so horrific Griffin's body had to be identified by dental records.

"I was shocked, but not surprised," Lucas said. "In my mind, it was a suicide attempt.

"I absolutely loved my two years with Eddie. He was always a gentleman. But he became a different person when he was doing something that didn't agree with him chemically."

It was that dependency that led to Griffin to Lucas early in 2005.

A never-ending temptationHe was a troubled and frustrated addict, searching for a way to get better. His was a rough life and alcohol tempted Griffin every hour, every minute, every second.

Lucas looked in Griffin's eyes and saw what he often saw in the mirror during his NBA career. Lucas knew of Griffin's great ability as a player and how it was often hindered by his record of addiction, substance-abuse suspensions, a drunk-driving conviction and an assault.

For two years during offseasons, Griffin could be found working out under Lucas' watchful eye. Lucas counseled him before and after workouts. During NBA seasons, he called Griffin on the road with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"He was doing really, really good," Lucas said. "In March when the (Timberwolves) let him go, he kind of got away for a while.

"I pushed. But Eddie wanted to be left alone. One of the hardest things about the disease of alcoholism is it's cunning, powerful and awful. Drinking wasn't the solution. The problem was his life. But drinking was where he ... "

Lucas paused in mid-sentence.

The last time Lucas saw Griffin was less than two months ago. He asked how Griffin was doing and if he was willing to come work out.

That lookHe saw that distant, detached look.

"I've been beating myself up that I couldn't do more after two years," Lucas said. "I've been beating myself up that I didn't fight harder.

"But when somebody is fighting to get away from you, eventually they're just going to go."

While Griffin's demise was self-inflicted, his is among the saddest of sports and life stories. And it is one with which more athletes than you imagine grapple with daily.

So many athletes have deep personal issues with which they have had to deal their entire lives. So many come from single-parent households, rough neighborhoods.

They are coddled and carried along by money-grubbing, summer-league coaches, hangers-on and relatives hoping to cash in.

Griffin was a street-tough Philadelphia kid who fought his way out, only to fall into unimaginable riches. Money couldn't buy Griffin love. But it could buy the chemicals that numbed the senses.

Everything to extremes"Athletes, whatever we do in life we don't know how to do moderately," Lucas said. "We take that same competitiveness we have in sports, but we apply it in life.

"Athletes have to get the biggest house, get the biggest car. They have to love their girlfriends more. This is a crazy statement, but when I was an addict, I didn't want to be an average drug addict. I wanted to be the very best drug addict and alcoholic I could be. That's the way we as athletes were raised."

The Harris County Medical Examiner has yet to determine the cause of Griffin's death.

Lucas and those who were close to Griffin, those who knew the kindness and gentleness of his heart and the emotional issues that he fought daily, already know the cause.

"I told Eddie a bunch of times, life is nothing but a bunch of start-overs," Lucas said. "Are you willing to start over?

"At the end of the day, I'm not saying it's anybody's fault but the person that did it. We all have different ways of coping with life on life terms. Eddie's free now. He's free of just how hard it was."

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Just a quick shout out/reminder that we have our radio broadcast tonight at 9pm. We definitely would like to hear from our commenters and readers on this issue-feel free to call us live at: 646-915-9620 or IM/email (afronerdradio@yahoo).... Be there and Be square.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

I wanted our readers to take a quick look at an article written by former conservative Pat Buchanan (now Reformist/paleoconservative) entitled the Color of Crime. If anyone is familiar with Buchanan's history, many have labeled him a racist and yet in the same breath while seeking the presidential nomination during the 2000 election he was noted for choosing Ezola Foster as his running mate. Foster is an African-American activist/retired teacher from the Los Angeles area. Despite Buchanan's sketchy racial record, I wouldn't be honest if I didn't concur with his criticisms against the neo-cons, the Bush administration and corporate complicity relating to immigration. And as the title of this entry asks....when the devil states a fact does it remain factual? Check out this excerpt from Buchanan's Color of Crime piece, courtesy of Yahoo News:

"Overall, the new Justice findings jibe with previous studies," said the Post. "For example, a review of FBI data from 2004 by the Violence Policy Center, a liberal-leaning group that campaigns for stricter gun control laws, found that blacks accounted for about half of the nation's murder victims that year."

"Black victimization is a real problem, and it's often black on black," said David Harris, a law professor at the University of Toledo who studies crime statistics.

"Often"? Correction, Harris. As the Post reports and Justice concedes, in more than nine out of 10 cases, black victims are murdered by fellow blacks.

Utterly absent from the Post story and Justice Department stats is anything about white victims of crime. Not a word. Do white folks not count, though they are two-thirds of the population?

Yet, in "The Color of Crime: Race, Crime and Justice in America," produced by the "right-leaning" New Century Foundation in 2005, using the same FBI and Justice surveys, startling facts emerge:

— "Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against other blacks." Forty-five percent of the victims of violent crime by blacks are white folks, 43 percent are black, 10 percent are Hispanic.

— Blacks are seven times as likely as people of other races to commit murder, eight times more likely to commit robbery and three times more likely to use a gun in a crime.

— "Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit violent crime against a white person than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery." (If decent black folks have trouble hailing a cab, and they do, these numbers may help explain it.)

— Black-on-white rape is 115 times more common than the reverse.

Even the two most famous sexual assaults by white men on black women in the last two decades — the Tawana Brawley and Duke rape cases — turned out to be hoaxes.

What do these statistics tell us? A message the Post will not report. The real repository of racism in America — manifest in violent interracial assault, rape and murder — is to be found not in the white community, but the African-American community. In almost all interracial attacks, whites are the victims, not the victimizers.

To read the article in its entirety click on the link below. And to our readers-what about this article? Is it truthful? Are there half-truths? We await your comments.

Our mission here at Afronerd really is a difficult one. We attempt to inform and provoke critical thinking but admittedly we are up against a lucrative and insidious cultural behemoth-thug life. I just happend to trip over a site entitled, ThugLifeArmy.com whose sole purpose one would think is to uphold tenets of the late Tupac Shakur. I will be the first to say that I actually purchased and liked some of Shakur's music. Unfortunately, his political and social confusion in my estimation contributed to his untimely death. He was literally a walking contradiction and I'm just not sure about the site's title. Credibility gets lost in the wash when you make reference to thuggery in one instance and consciousness in another. One article in particular, written by Bruce Dixon actually possessed some valid points. His criticisms (as it relates to this article) regarding true journalism and the truncated imagery that TV-One and BET provide are irrefutable but he loses me with his highlighting of the annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. In all fairness, perhaps my ire should be aimed at the Caucus' awarding of the "Lawn Jockey" to at least four Black members of Congress who score lowest on the semi-annual CBC Monitor report cards. As many criticisms that have been levied against the Caucus, I would recommend that they pass the award amonsgt themselves. This insistence that if one is not a progressive he or she must be a lawn jockey is counter-productive and just not accurate. When will the madness stop? Check out Mr. Dixon's article and make your own conclusion.

A controversial hip hop rapper who advocated the lynching of other rappers whom he deems inappropriate has been submitted for nomination to the Grammy awards in both Category 3 for "Song of the year" and Category 31 "Rap Solo Performance".

The controversial hip hop MC in question NYOIL (pronounced NY Oil) from Staten Island NY released a song titled "Y'all Should All Get Lynched" to unprecedented fan fare in October 2006. The song which decries the behavior of the rappers who "sell out" the black community with lines like "All you fake a** gangsters y'all should all get lynched, because Malcolm X died for you to act like this and Martin Luther King died for you to act like this, and this the best you can come up with?" has become a cult favorite on the internet. The accompanying video was banned by Youtube within 48 hours of loading with over 6,000 views with no explanation. Fans of the artist have uploaded the video onto different sites with roughly a million views collectively.

Sources inform us that the song is getting a push from established artist on the (Grammy) board in response to what is perceived as a "Disgust with current hip hop trends"

This coup would be the first in Grammy History, if nominated NYOIL would be the first independent Rap Artist to achieve such an honor.

NYOIL – Released the single "Y'all should all get lynched" to internet outlets on October of 2006. The single has been picked up by BET Networks and licensed for an animated video (see Read A Book).

NYOIL debut album is called "HoodTREASON" The Warm Up Album is in stores now.

NYOIL explains that his album represents a return to HIP HOP! "It has a throwback feel to it in that it is a complete album with SONGS with content and lyrical ability". Further more, "We have done this with NO budget, No label, No drug dealers, No pimps, Hoes, Hustlers, Killers, and Corporate bottom feeder support, We are dedicated to showing independent Hip Hoppers that there is a way to make the sort of music that u feel in your heart and not sell out or not sell at all". "Follow our lead.. support real hip hop.. and good luck to you all". says NYOIL

With the release of "Hood Treason," and with it the continuation of the war against negativity in hip-hop that began with the video, NYOIL aims to disprove hip-hop's belief that positive and soft are synonymous. And if one thing's certain from hearing him speak, the Staten Island MC is just getting started.

1) Squadron Supreme-I've mentioned this title numerous times in our blog and I'm just waiting for the book to return from hiatus. The above video also gives Squadron a review/shout out as well.

2) The Boys-covert CIA and superhero hijinks courtesy of Garth Ennis. And the character known as Wee Hughie bears a striking resemblance to the British actor, Simon Pegg of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead fame. A coincidence? Doubt it!

3) World War Hulk-Marvel's latest event series. My specific title favorite is The Incredible Hulk currently drawn by Gary Frank who also pencils for Squadron. Great books to read and great to look at.

4) Mighty Avengers-not to be confused with the New Avengers. This book possess excellent and realistic dialogue coupled with GGA (Good Girl Art) thanks to the tag team of Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho.

and lastly,5) Y the Last Man-another title that I have mentioned previously in Afronerd. Follow the adventures (coming to a theater near you real soon) of Yorick Brown as he is literally the last man on earth. Only women remain and it's not the paradise one would think. This book is written by Brian K. Vaughn and penciled by....a woman...Pia Guerra. We're again told that this was a coincidence as well. It doesn't matter because not only is Ms. Guerra talented but she should be allowed to tell a story from a female perspective. Now check out some more clips from Youtube's Comic Blender show. And I would implore our readers to check out all of these titles in trade paperback. You won't be disappointed.

Monday, August 20, 2007

I was compelled to do an addendum piece on the Michael Vick fiasco because his story serves as a living example of a Dave Chappelle skit-when keeping it real goes wrong. I was also able to peruse his dossier on Wikipedia and it affirmed my lower tier suspicions:

Controversy and troubles

Herpes Allegations and Ron Mexico lawsuitIn March 2005 a woman named Sonya Elliott filed a civil lawsuit against Vick alleging she contracted genital herpes from Vick - in Autumn 2002 - and that he failed to inform her that he had the disease.[13] Elliot further alleged that Vick had visited clinics under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments and thus he knew of his condition. This led to a deluge of fans ordering customized #7 Atlanta Falcons jerseys on NFLShop.com with the name "Mexico" on the back.[14] Due to the media interest surrounding the case, the National Football League disallowed the use of the jersey/name combination two days after the lawsuit, and does so to this day. The online stores for the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball also disallow customization of jerseys using the same combination. On April 24, 2006 Vick's attorney, Lawrence Woodward, revealed that the lawsuit had settled out of court with an undisclosed amount.[15]

Video game developer Midway Games has alluded to Vick and his Ron Mexico alter-ego in their 2006 title, Blitz: The League. Due to Midway's loss of the National Football League license (EA Sports now has exclusive NFL licensing), all teams and players in the game are fictitious. However, the "Washington Redhawks"' star quarterback is a mobile, left-handed passer named "Mike Mexico."

And another incident that could have been written by Rod Serling:

Water bottle incidentOn January 17, 2007 Vick surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport. Due to Vick's reluctance to leave the bottle behind, it was later retrieved from a trash receptacle. The bottle was found to have a hidden compartment that contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana," a Miami police report said. "The compartment was hidden by the bottle's label so that it appeared to be a full bottle of water when held upright," police said. On Monday, January 22, 2007, the test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing. Vick also was drug tested, and the results were negative.[18]

The security tape from the airport documenting the incident has also been erased because, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami-Dade Police Department spokesman Robert Williams wrote in an e-mail: "That information was shown to the State's Attorney's office and it was determined by them that no criminal act was committed and no charges were filed. Therefore, this video was deleted from the flash drive since it was not being used in a criminal case."[19]

The Falcons later released the following statement: "We appreciate the speed at which the Miami authorities concluded their investigation, and we are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation. This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us."[20]

On March 22, 2007, Vick announced that the water bottle was a jewelry stash box, and that the substance in question had been jewelry. Vick indicated that he keeps his jewelry there to prevent theft.[21]

Before the test results indicated there were no illegal substances in the water bottle and Vick was cleared of any wrongdoing, Saturday Night Live went on to do a parody of the incident in which they questioned Vick's actions in a skit called "Really?

When one delves into Vick's history you quickly discover that he was the product of the projects and impoverished. That within itself is nothing to be ashamed of but he was given the opportunity to better himself and made an income that could have produced a certain level of industry in the Black community. Of course, he chose to invest in thuggery and foolishness. But allow me to be even more specific, poverty is no longer an excuse for a lower moral standard or an absence of character. As the Progressive Left are quick to remind us, the African-American history of non-indentured servitude encompassed its fair share of poverty and struggle. But Black folks also possessed a moral compass that was undeterred. Let's go to the other side of the racial and socio-economic spectrum, shall we? Case in point-the DuPont and Astor heirs. Despite the difference in ethnicity and generational wealth, one can still find the glue that hold these stories together-lack of character.God forbid anyone should grow older-check this out from a recent New York magaine article:

Another week, another socialite parental-abuse saga! Today's Post cover blares "DAUGHTER DEAREST," and plugs a story within about Emily "Pemmy" du Pont Frick, an heiress who is accused by relatives of letting her mother live out her old age under poor care. Sound familiar? Didn't we just go through this with Brooke Astor? The Post is clearly trying to gin up another newsstand seller – but is this one really as good? After the jump, our analysis. The Names: Astor, as far as old-money New York families, go, is pretty hard to beat. But Emily, by marrying both a Frick heir (you know, the museum?) and a Du Pont heir (you know, the second-largest chemical company in the world?) has pretty much scored a debutante double play. More scandalous: Pemmy.The Drama: Brooke Astor's son Anthony was allegedly using his mother's money to live it up, while Brooke was neglected. In this case, Emily's money comes directly from her late husbands. Her ailing mother, 91-year-old Anne Waterman Troth, had her own unrelated trust fund, but it's apparently run out. More scandalous: Anthony.The Accommodations: Astor was allegedly confined to her couch, sleeping in a "ratty nightgown." Emily's mother is in a nursing home "not being showered regularly." More scandalous: It's a tie.The Summer Homes: Both Emily du Pont Frick and Anthony Marshall summered in exclusive Northeast Harbor, where presumably the Rockefellers, Carnegies, and MoMA's also have vacation homes. More scandalous: It's a tie.The Dialogue: Anthony Marshall denied the allegations, repeating "I love my mother." When caught by Post reporters, Du Pont Frick said "This is what happens when you get old and run out of money." Yikes. More scandalous: Pemmy.

So all tallied up, it looks like the saga of Pemmy and her mother is slightly more salacious than the tale of Brooke Astor and her son. But while Astor was a huge figure in New York, Pemmy's mother, Anne, isn't as recognizable of a name, so we're betting the Post won't get as many pages out of this one. Or, you know, as many headlines with dollar signs instead of "S"s in them.

The moral of these stories are that we have some evil, ignorant and aberrant folks walking amongst us that need to be checked-Afronerd serves to check them if you don't. Penny for your thoughts-you can even put it on the Vick/Astor/Dupont tab.

Oh and lest I forget...we can also throw Leona Helmsley's corpse on the George Foreman grill for unconscionable behavior while were at it. Let's deal with race when it applies. But when it doesn't, let's also hold individuals accountable minus the societal enablers. Nuff said.

I have been sorely disappointed with the state of Black talk radio in the last few weeks (years, really) pertaining to the Michael Vick-dog fighting debacle. It has even prompted yours truly to call several media outlets to attempt to center the issue but alas, it appears to be an exercise in futility. A number of African-American radio personalities, pundits and sport enthusiasts have insisted that Vick is a racial victim and is not deserving of the media and/or public scrutiny swirling around his fall from grace. I beg to differ. In my estimation, it is imperative that not all cases be viewed through a racial paradigm. I have witnessed too many Black pundits go to great lengths to make Vick’s actions not a “big deal” in the context of animal cruelty. Some have even likened Vick’s actions to hunting or how cows and pigs are treated for human sustenance. The quick answer, of course is that if Vick wanted to satiate his bloodlust, why not invest in a farm or a meatpacking enterprise? Such an answer would require a certain level of sophistication and doesn’t fit into the comfortable liberal victimization mindset that is literally killing the concept of credibility and accountability in communities of color. And lest we forget, the Vick mess also encompassed gambling/racketeering allegations coupled with extreme examples of animal cruelty. Folks, let’s try to put the appropriate focus on these issues and not lose sight of the cases that are really racial or discriminatory in nature. Our dear Mr. Michael is not a vick(tim). Pun intended. Check out the latest regarding the Vick matter, courtesy of the Chicago Sun Times:

Vick OKs plea deal with feds August 21, 2007BY LARRY O'DELL RICHMOND, Va. -- More than football, Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick's freedom is the question now. With three associates prepared to testify that he brutally executed dogs and bankrolled gambling, Vick agreed Monday to ''accept full responsibility'' for his role in a dogfighting ring and plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges. Worries about playing time will have to wait while Vick faces prison time -- from one to five years. The maximum sentence is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but federal guidelines call for less. Defense attorneys wouldn't divulge details about the plea agreement or how much time Vick can expect to serve, but a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms are not final, told the Associated Press that prosecutors will recommend a sentence of a year to 18 months. The official said such a sentence would be more than what usually is recommended for first-time offenders. But U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson isn't bound by prosecutors' recommendations or the sentencing guidelines and will have the final say. Twenty-five days after he said he looked forward to clearing his name, Vick said through defense lawyer Billy Martin that he will plead guilty. A hearing is scheduled for next Monday. ''Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made,'' Martin said in a statement. ''Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter.'' The NFL noted Vick's admission wasn't in line with what he told commissioner Roger Goodell shortly after being charged. ''We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons,'' the NFL said. The league, which barred Vick from training camp, said it has asked the Falcons to withhold further action while its own investigation wraps up. The Falcons said they were ''certainly troubled'' by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request. Martin said salvaging Vick's NFL career wasn't part of the talks. ''Football is not the most important thing in Michael Vick's life,'' Martin said. ''He wants to get his life back on track.''

What does Black Pride look like nowadays? Who are our heroes or do they even exist in this day and age? Do people of color have a messiah complex? These are just a few questions that we will attempt to answer this Thursday at 9pm. Please take a long hard look at the above interview with Malcolm X. One might think it a difficult supposition that Black conservatives often look to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz as a template for self-reliance-just ask Clarence Thomas. Some may interpret our last show on Black English as being antithetical to Black pride but I respectfully disagree. Malcolm X's erudite and alliterative oratorical prowess proves my point. But I will save my musings for the broadcast. We want to hear from our readers/listeners so drop us a line at: 646-915-9620 or via IM/email (afronerdradio@yahoo) courtesy of afronerd radio dot com.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

I spoke about Mr. McClendon's mission to impart the value of certain African-Americans learning Standard English during tonight's Afronerd Radio broadcast. Here is a clip of McClendon discussing the strain of anti-intellectualism in certain communities of color. Check it out and submit your opinions to the class.

I'm putting this on the chalkboard and will put forward a editorial momentarily. Let's discuss this amongst ourselves. Is marriage a White thing? God help us.

Courtesy of Blackprwire.com:

Marry your Baby Daddy Day Ceremony to take place in September 07

(BLACK PR WIRE) A fact concerning African Americans, which is not often discussed in modern times, is that African Americans were not legally allowed to marry until after emancipation from slavery. Moreover, an even bigger fact that seems to have been completely glossed over in most American History books is the astounding numbers of African Americans who married after slavery, as soon as they were legally allowed. Marriage was held in such high esteem by African Americans back then that close to 70% of African Americans during that time period were married.

Marriage was so important (even before emancipation) that for 100’s and 100’s of years, African Americans would “symbolically” show their Union by “jumping a broom”, which is one tradition still kept alive today in many legal marriage ceremonies.

In today’s society, it is a well-known fact that there has been a sharp decline in marriages among African Americans, and also with 2-parent households in general. Undoubtedly, there are several reasons marriage has declined in the African American community; many of those reasons are societal influences, which affect all cultures across the board. Typically, the Church, school and community reinforced the family stability; however, increasingly, those institutions are challenged by new social ideals, media influences, peer groups and a sense of a new “norm”. Current African American marriage statistics range from 44% to 41% respectively. However, what is clear in reading all of the statistics about African American marriages is that they are lower in marriage rates, and higher in divorce rates, than any other group allowed to legally marry in the United States.

The good news is that despite the seemingly growing trends, there are actually several under-reported African Americans focusing on embracing the stability and foundation of a good marriage.

In New York, the second annual “Marry Your Baby Daddy” wedding celebration for close to a dozen couples will be held in September, 2007; free of charge for the happy couples! The idea behind the concept, according to its founder, Maryann Reid, was to raise the “esteem” of marriage in the African American community. “You always hear about baby mama drama”, stated Reid, “But rarely, if ever, do you hear about those who actually love the mother/father of their children.” In 2005, Reid started her venture without any corporate support, however, today, the entire ceremony and reception, including their designer wedding dresses, are all paid for by donations from several corporate vendors. In order to qualify, couples have to already live together, must be interviewed to show their sincerity, and they must have at least one child together. The first wedding was held in 2005 where close to a dozen couples were married in unison. Most couples’ reasons for not getting married before Reids’ event centered on marriage not being a “big deal anymore” and “money” issues. However, both the men and women alike were surprised at how happy they felt after being selected; even though many had stable relationships for years. Many couples felt that their relationship had taken on a new, even more important meaning; and many were proud of the new example they were setting for their children.

Another group of African Americans interested in celebrating the joy of marriage in the Black community organized Black Marriage Day (recently celebrated in March 07), and they want the celebration to reach 50 Cities around the US. “Black Marriage Day” is another (relatively unknown) concept whose premise is to celebrate the joy of marriage in the African American community. There are several other grassroots organizations whose overriding theme and goal is to motivate the hearts and minds of the African American community to cherish and celebrate marriage, while encouraging more to commit to marriage.

Now I'm ready to editorialize or pontificate as it relates to the aforementioned article. I will confess-I am the product of a stable two parent household and in someways have felt like an anamoly because of it. I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed a successful marriage to boot, so one could easily assume that I hold the institution of marriage in high regard. I have also witnessed friends, colleagues and relatives who had to deal with single-parent rearing oftentimes with parents that never married or who decided to make it legal and later sought a divorce. The children from these liasons almost never recover. It amounts to a psychic wound that these selfsame children carry into adulthood ultimately damaging their prospective relationships. Perhaps I am sounding like a broken mp3 file (a record is so 20th century) but cultural reorganization is almost necessary to combat subcultural influences that have equated honoring the woman a man has chosen to bear his children as little more than a breeding animal. And having to capitulate to the "baby daddy/momma" title even further emboldens my perspective. This Baby Daddy Ceremony may have the desire in the right place but the title diminishes its importance-it's time to raise the collective bar or is that a broom.

If you take a close look at the above picture it depicts a young African female having been whipped into submission. We are fully aware that this sight was customary during African-American servitude. The picture also serves as a metaphor for what the current popular culture continues to do to Black people, specifically women of color-and David Banner and R. Kelly represent the modern-day Black overseers. If you don't believe me, check out the latest words of wisdom from Banner in his response to Rev. Sharpton's decency campaign:

"The next time you see Al Sharpton, tell him I said f**k him and he can suck my d**k," Banner reportedly said. "I might change the name of my album from The Greatest Story Never Told to F**k Al Sharpton. They're killing kids in New Jersey and all across the country and all a n***a got to talk about is rap lyrics?"

Alrighty then....many of our readers/radio listeners know that I have no love lost on Reverend Sharpton but I do believe that Sharpton's addressing of the language of commercial hip hop was not only necessary but a long time coming. Black women have had to carry their share of the burden of disrespect aimed at their gender due in part to the current incarnation of hip hop music. It appears that David Banner wants to continue this time honored tradition and when challenged, he resorts to vulgarity. I would be the first to say that Sharpton should be pushing to balance Black imagery but Banner doesn't even want to entertain the criticism. Let's take this one step further. As you have just witnessed, some in the African-American entertainment community desire to be above reproach relating to the art that they produce. But when art is commercialized....well...isn't it a type of commercial? If I decide to purchase Pepsi based on a recent commercial and it turns out to be poisonous-do I have the right to complain? Well, folks this is the conundrum that minstrel hip hop must endure. And now there's Mr. In the Closet, himself. Check out the latest pertaining to the upcoming R. Kelly molestation trial:

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune:

Pressure builds to end abuse of black womenAbusive men must be held accountable for their actionsBy Lori Robinson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I never thought I would see the day R. Kelly would stand trial.

After all, it has been five years since the now 40-year-old R&B superstar was charged with several counts of child pornography. With jury selection slated to finally start next month, the infamous videotape of Kelly allegedly having sex with an underage girl has become a distant memory.

The good news is that momentum is mounting against the use of words and images that denigrate African-American women and girls in so much popular music. But will the black community hold individual African-Americans accountable for actions that harm women?

If the Kelly case is any indication, the answer is no.

Once again, his music is near the top of the charts. Since his 2002 indictment, he has been busy selling millions of CDs, playing national tours and collecting awards.

Positive steps have been made challenging the music industry since the Kelly tape came to light. Essence magazine initiated the Take Back the Music campaign in 2005 to increase public debate about black women's portrayals in music.

"Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," a documentary film about misogyny in the genre, won national acclaim last year. And in April, Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network launched the Decency Initiative, a strategy to pressure record companies into preventing artists from using specific words considered offensive toward black women.

Earlier this month, Sharpton spoke in Detroit in front of a humble white house with blue trim known as Hitsville U.S.A., the home of Motown. Out of the 20 cities where national Day of Outrage protests were held simultaneously, Sharpton chose to appear in Detroit because of Motown's legacy as a wildly successful entertainment company whose artists didn't debase women in songs.

When asked what message he would like to send to artists who physically abuse black women, Detroit protest organizer Rev. Horace Sheffield said, "The tide is turning. There is going to be a terrible toll exacted upon those who not only demean them with words, but also caricature and conduct."

I hope he's right. It's long overdue.

When the Kelly controversy was at its peak in 2003, I mentioned him in a speech about sexual violence I gave in Harlem. A teenage African-American girl asked what was wrong with supporting him. I responded by asking whether she would still want to support the work of a grown man if he had sex with her little sister. She simply stated that because the victim wasn't her sister, she saw no problem with buying his music.

Considering the example adults set, it's no wonder she didn't care about the abuse of another black girl. Teens aren't the only consumers purchasing Kelly's CDs and downloads, and they do not run the record companies and radio stations that enable him to continue amassing a fortune.

Some would argue that boycotting Kelly would be unfair. It's true that he is legally innocent until proven guilty. At the same time, by supporting Kelly's work these last five years, the public has discouraged him and other men who may be abusive from understanding that such behavior is criminal and unacceptable.

Maybe that teenager in Harlem, and the millions of others who patronize Kelly, just don't understand sexual violence. According to a study led by University of Southern California researcher John Briere, an estimated 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 7 boys will be sexually violated by age 18. Such abuse results in myriad problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and eating disorders. Girls who experienced childhood sexual abuse are three times more likely than other girls to abuse alcohol or drugs or experience psychiatric disorders in their adult years.

Abuse should not be tolerated or excused, no matter what positive qualities the abusers offer. We should be teaching young people to never overlook sexual victimization.

Instead, the message we've been sending is that we value moments of musical pleasure more than the lives of black girls, that it doesn't matter if Kelly is guilty as long as we can get our groove on.

When Kelly came to the stage to collect his Best Male R&B Artist award during BET's annual awards show in 2003, he said African-Americans' support of him was a great example of black unity.

We cannot afford to fall for this diversion. Holding black offenders of black women and children accountable is not tantamount to dismissing the inequities of today's prison-industrial complex or the racism that has brutalized black men for hundreds of years. Nor does it equate to personal antipathy. To the contrary, I want Kelly to get help and be healed.

Demanding accountability is not anti-black men, but pro-black people. It means keeping everyone in our community safe, healthy and whole.

Holding those who commit sexual offenses accountable for their crimes -- now that would be black unity worth singing about.

Lori S. Robinson, a freelance writer based in Detroit, is the author of "I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault and Abuse."

Friday, August 17, 2007

I believe I posted this same video a few months ago, however I think that the subject is ripe for exploration. Let's try to analyze vernacular and/or grammar in communities of color. Is it really a White cultural notion to speak the King's English or it it simply a matter of accuracy? And I promise that during this show I will also find time to discuss my 5 current comic book reads with the intent that our audience check out these graphic novels as well. So you guys definitely know the drill-give us a call this Sunday at 8pm with your thoughts, opinions and disagreements (we're big boys, we can take it) at-646-915-9620, email(afronerdradio@yahoo.com) and our chat room at afronerd radio dot com.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

I’m pretty sure Public Enemy fans are greatly aware of the following lyrics:

Elvis was a hero to mostBut he never meant ---- to me you seeStraight up racist that sucker wasSimple and plainMother---- him and John Wayne

More specifically, the words are from Enemy’s anthemic treatise, Fight the Power-which I suspect encapsulate the feelings of many African-Americans who have been lead to believe that Elvis Presley was a racist. But how accurate were Chuck D’s assertions about Elvis? Of course, we are all experiencing Elvis fever as a pilgrimage takes place to the mecca of Hillbilly excess, Graceland to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the alleged King of Rock & Roll’s untimely death. Check out this excerpt from Chron.com as they explore the issue of Elvis’ alleged racist streak:

A repudiated rumorJust how committed he was to a view that insisted not just on musical accomplishment but also on fundamental humanity can be deduced from his reaction to the earliest appearance of an ugly rumor that persists to this day. Presley, it was said within the African-American community, had declared, either at a personal appearance in Boston or on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person television program, "The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes." That he had never appeared in Boston or on Murrow's program did nothing to abate the rumor, so in June 1957, long after he had stopped talking to the mainstream press, he addressed the issue — and an audience that scarcely figured in his sales demographic — in an interview for the black weekly magazine Jet.Anyone who knew him, he told reporter Louie Robinson, would know he could never have uttered those words. Amid testimonials from blacks who did know him, he described his attendance as a teenager at the church of a celebrated black gospel composer, the Rev. W. Herbert Brewster, whose songs had been recorded by Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward and whose stand on civil rights was well-known. (Elvis' version of Peace in the Valley, Brewster said later, was "one of the best gospel recordings I've ever heard.")The interview's underlying point was the same as the underlying point of his music: Far from asserting any superiority, he was merely doing his best to find a place in a musical continuum that included breathtaking talents like Ray Charles, Roy Hamilton, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and Howlin' Wolf on the one hand, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and the Statesmen Quartet on the other. "Let's face it," he said of his rhythm and blues influences, "nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. I can't sing it like Fats Domino can. I know that."And as for prejudice, the article concluded, quoting an unnamed source, "To Elvis people are people, regardless of race, color or creed."

Any thoughts on this issue? Do you think Elvis was racist or was it the system that enabled him to become iconic at the expense of Black talent?

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Just letting our readers/listeners know that we have yet another live call in show scheduled for tomorrow at 9pm. Stop by with your thoughts, comments and opinions-646-915-9620 or IM/email(afronerdradio@yahoo). Be there and Be Square.

Check out this logical and needed discourse by a young gentleman who would definitely be a honorary member of this blog. Hat tip to Mat Johnson's blog-Niggerati Manor. Afronerd approves of this following message.

WILKES-BARRE – Shackled at the ankles and wrists, Thomas Leyshon III hung his head as he trotted to a cell inside the Luzerne County Correctional Facility after being arraigned early Saturday morning on charges he assaulted four women inside a Plains Township hair salon.

Authorities allege Leyshon, 41, of Mountain Top, entered the Hairem Family Haircare on North River Street around 11 a.m. Friday and violently struck four women with a hammer before fleeing with a small amount of cash. He was captured about 10 hours later near the Westmoreland Club on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Leyshon said very little during his jailhouse arraignment before Sugarloaf District Judge Daniel O’Donnell. He remains jailed for lack of $100,000 bail awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled in Central Court on Aug. 20.

Plains Township police and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office charged Leyshon with 12 counts of aggravated assault, five counts each of robbery and recklessly endangering another person, and a single count of simple assault.

Authorities have not disclosed the motive to why the assault and robbery took place.

District Attorney David Lupas on Friday said the salon owner, 57, and three customers – ages 68, 74 and 76 – were injured in the assault. They were taken to area hospitals, with one victim suffering a fractured skull. Lupas declined to identify the victims out of concern for their privacy.

Lupas couldn’t be reached for further comment on Saturday.

A green Ford Taurus station wagon suspected to be involved in the incident was recovered abandoned on Kulp Street in Wilkes-Barre at about noon Friday.

Inside, police said they found a hammer and blood spatter linking Leyshon to the attack.

The car – filled with magazines, books including an alcoholic anonymous book, dirty clothes and a pair of boots – was towed to a garage under the Plains Township Police Department.

The hair salon remained closed Saturday.

Dried blood spatter could be seen on the linoleum floor through the front glass door. Magazines were neatly stacked on a table and children’s toys were in their place in the small waiting area inside the salon.

I have to be honest; I am growing tired of these statistics (i.e. Black on Black murder rates) and the consistent apathy that the world seems to have pertaining to the atrophying of Black life. Again, when Dr. Cosby or this blog points out these stats, racism and poverty are frequently exclaimed followed by quick silence. When we call for cultural change or moral reorganization-anything that implies self-analysis, it is quickly deemed as being insensitive or a form of intraracial hatred. All that we ask is that this viewpoint be considered along with a multitude of other ideals that can be thrown into the mix that could impede the pathological juggernaut affecting communities of color. Let's view the latest report courtesy of Breitbart.com...it reads like a mass obituary:

Nearly half US murder victims are black: report

African-Americans are victims of nearly half the murders committed in the United States despite making up only 13 percent of the population, a report published Thursday showed. Around 8,000 of nearly 16,500 murder victims in 2005, or 49 percent, were black Americans, according to the report released by the statistics bureau of the Department of Justice.

Broken down by gender, 6,800 black men were murdered in 2005, making up more than half the nearly 13,000 male murder victims.

Black women made up 35 percent, or 1,200, of the nearly 3,500 female homicide victims.

Young black men aged between 17 and 29 bore a disproportionately high burden in the grim statistics, making up 51 percent of African-American murder victims.

The percentage of white male murder victims in the same age group was 37 percent.

More than half the murders of blacks took place in densely populated urban areas.

Firearms were involved 77 percent of the time in homicides involving black people and around 60 percent of the time in murders of whites.

Most murder victims -- 93 percent of blacks and 85 percent of whites -- were killed by someone of their own race.

Gang violence was involved in around five percent of homicides with black victims against seven percent for white victims.

In percentage terms, whites were twice as likely to be killed by a current or former partner than blacks -- 12 percent of whites were murdered by a life partner against six percent of blacks.

Blacks were also at greater risk of rape or sexual assault than any other ethnic group except American Indians, the report showed.

Why am I late on these Youtube trends? First Tay Zonday and now Filipino prisoners forced to do Michael Jackson routines? I just happened to hear about the video on this evening's news and it appears that this clip has surpassed 3 million views to date. It should also be noted that the female protagonist (the part originally played by Ola Ray) is being played by a transgender prisoner-it is truly the end of days. Check out the latest on this phenomenon from Metro.co.uk:

Jacko Thriller in Philippines jailTuesday, July 24, 2007 The inmates line up for the zombie danceWelcome to the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines. A large prison, holding over 1,500 inmates, all of them clad in the regulation orange jumpsuits and put through a rigorous, compulsory exercise regime. So far, so jaily.

The difference being that this prison's exercise regime involves replicating Michael Jackson's Thriller.

'Inmates at the CPDRC are required to go through a workout regimen. While the goal is to keep the body fit in order to keep the mind fit, such may not actually happen if it is not done in a manner deemed pleasurable. Music, being the language of the soul, is added to that regimen,' wrote Byron F. Garcia, a security consultant to the Cebu provincial government, last year.

The choreography is slick, the co-ordination tight, and one of the male prisoners gets to play the girl who accompanied Jackson in the video. What more could you want from your prison experience?

I'm not one for making excuses as a conservative for conservatives. The Bush administration's poor performance for the last two terms is pretty much self-evident. Even Bush's staunchest supporters have all but conceded that the Presidency is treading lame duck territory. Now Bush's alleged brain, Karl Rove has submitted his resignation for August 31st. Here's the latest from Andrew Sullivan's blog:

While he spins. The man's legacy is a conservative movement largely discredited and disunited, a president with lower consistent approval ratings than any in modern history, a generational shift to the Democrats, a resurgent al Qaeda, an endless catastrophe in Iraq, a long hard struggle in Afghanistan, a fiscal legacy that means bankrupting America within a decade, and the poisoning of American religion with politics and vice-versa. For this, he got two terms of power - which the GOP used mainly to enrich themselves, their clients and to expand government's reach and and drain on the productive sector. In the re-election, the president with a relatively strong economy, and a war in progress, managed to eke out 51 percent. Why? Because Rove preferred to divide the country and get his 51 percent, than unite it and get America's 60. In a time of grave danger and war, Rove picked party over country. Such a choice was and remains despicable.

Rove is one of the worst political strategists in recent times. He took a chance to realign the country and to unite it in a war - and threw it away in a binge of hate-filled niche campaigning, polarization and short-term expediency. His divisive politics and elevation of corrupt mediocrities to every branch of government has turned an entire generation off the conservative label. And rightly so. It will take another generation to recover from the toxins he has injected, with the president's eager approval, into the political culture and into the conservative soul.

Does Rove's departure mark the end of the neo-conservative movement or just the beginning? Perhaps the elephants can rally as the eruption of Mount Hillary appears to be looming in the political horizon. Let's hear your opinions.

I was prompted to tackle the good girl attraction to bad boy phenomenon after reading about the murder of Boitumelo McCallum-allegedly at the hands of a thuggish paramour. For those who may be unfamiliar with this story, McCallum, a beautiful and promising 20-year-old young woman (the daughter of two NYU professors) was found bloodied and strangled in her apartment approximately a week ago. Upon further investigation, a jealous boyfriend with a criminal record appears to be the lead suspect in this heinous act. What is even more distressing is that if one were to believe the latest reports regarding McCallum's unfaithfulness (the reason for raising her boyfriend's ire), she was also involved with yet another futureless and criminal-minded young man. So as usual we will attempt to utilize our analytical scalpels and attempt to do surgery on the causes of good girl/bad boy attraction on our next Afronerd Radio broadcast. We may also discuss our top five current comic book/graphic novel reads, if time permits. Check us out and feel free to call us with your thoughts at: 646-915-9620 or via IM/email (afronerdradio@yahoo). Click on the link below for more on the Boitumelo McCallum story:

The following excerpt is from one of my favorite columnists, Stanley Crouch. His latest analysis appears to encapsulate the current political apathy that our presidential hopefuls have toward urban blight and crime. This is a subject that Afronerd attempts to ring home with our radio listeners and readers-the death toll is just too high (and rising) to ignore or to drum up racial excuses in hopes that the dysfunctionalism will dissipate. Perhaps I have it wrong....let's hear your thoughts. Why do you think liberals and conservatives alike (the presidential candidates, specifically) are not highlighting these issues?

Courtesy of the New York Daily News:

Pols are tiptoeing around killing fields

Monday, August 13th 2007, 4:00 AM

We have now developed an urban badlands which is national and troubling because of the incredible numbers of people who are murdered or suffer the physical and psychological effects of violent crime. Our presidential candidates are quick on the draw when asked about the war on terror or homeland security, but the American people have not heard a peep from them about the concrete killing fields of our cities. Perhaps, because so many of the perpetrators and the victims are "people of color," the donkeys don't want to be seen as bleeding hearts while the elephants are afraid of being called racists.

In the 19th century, murderous cowboys, rustlers and bank or train robbers had neither the arms nor the occasions presented to them that could have resulted in the kinds of carnage we now take for granted. The mob wars of the 20th century left numbers of dead that would be pointed to with pride by a mayor today as proof of how much better things have gotten.

Addressing a dilemma tantamount to terrorism, a few months ago Ben Stein wrote in the conservative American Spectator that, "In the five and a half years since Sept. 11, 2001, there have been roughly 40,000 killings by gangs and gang members in this United States of America, mostly in the African-American and Hispanic sections of large cities." In his book, "The Devil and Dave Chappelle," William Jelani Cobb writes: "Between 1976 and 2004, African-Americans, who are 13% of the population, constituted nearly 47% of the homicide cases in the United States."

Besides all of the human costs of these murders, the burden is estimated by the World Health Organization to cost an annual $300 billion. That amounts to about 150 weeks in Iraq, or three years.

(BLACK PR WIRE) Advanced Placement (A.P.) curriculums across the United States seek to offer High School students more in depth studies in 37 specific areas including chemistry, calculus, European history, physics and Spanish literature (to name a few) yet educators are currently debating whether or not to ad African American history to that list. Several school districts across the nation have suggested this addition however the skepticism lays in the College Board. The College Board claims that it does not have any doubts about the significance or importance of African American history but is ostensibly concerned that American High Schools will muck the whole thing up.

It’s not hard to see why the College Board is skeptical considering the number of America students entering college each year, ill prepared to do college level work. Would the Advanced Placement program be able to appropriately assimilate African American history into its curriculum without getting the whole thing wrong? Without watering it down to the point in which it lost its authenticity?

As a graduate of the A.P. system myself, I can say that my U.S. History and Literature classes were seen as deadly dull to most students at the time. The way the curriculum was taught to us bored us to tears. We felt that history was sugar-coated and fed to us in large syrupy bites. Soldiers trekked through depressing forests via Revolutionary War literature and Hester Prynne bore her Scarlett Letter. Wouldn’t true African American history be a breath of fresh air? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an alternate choice?

Linda Lane, deputy superintendent for instruction in the Pittsburgh Public School system is the architect behind the plan to add African American studies. According to statistics posted on the Inside Higher Education website, only 17% of those talking A.P. courses in Pittsburgh are black as compared to a 57% black majority in this city. Asian students on the other hand make up nearly 11% of those in A.P. courses while only representing 5.5% of the student population. By including an area of study specifically honoring and educating black youth on the magnitude and importance of African American history, many educators hope to up the percentage of black involvement in this most prestigious program to simultaneously teach black youth about their own vital history in this nation and promote them in future academic study.

The A.P. system is a fine one. I wouldn’t have felt interested or challenged at all during High School were it not for the A.P. system of studies however what is considered classic education must evolve with the times. African American history is American history therefore why not offer it at the highest level of High School academia for all to discover?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

What is it with having to ask presidential candidates Black authenticity questions? Of course Bill the first was left out of the equation since Black folk gave him an honorary Negro degree years ago. But this is the real kicker-Bill gets a pass but Obama doesn't and he really is a man of color. Our Blackometer is often called in question at Afronerd as well so I guess I should be used to it by now. Now Hillary Clinton is next up within the last few days to get the "Black enough" to understand the persons of color conundrum. I think it's high time for people of color to get off the racialization train and just ask for questions based on the human condition. If we continue to pose questions based on a Black specific standard we lose the ability to address the problems on a serious and substantive level. I do not want the readers to think that I am living in Shangri-La, we are very much aware that racism exists however demanding better education, economic opportunities, safer communities and healthcare are not Black issues within themselves but human or American dilemmas. Let's take a look at a recent Newsday article that posits the Hillary on the Black Hand Side question:

Could Hillary Clinton also be a 'black' leader?Les Payne August 12, 2007

Senator Clinton, are you black enough?

The question usually aimed at her darker opponent from Chicago triggered a burst of laughter from Hillary Rodham Clinton. She recovered from the barb and proceeded by not answering it.

This campaign moment occurred Thursday before the Las Vegas convention crowd of the National Association of Black Journalists. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux pinned back the former First Lady to explain how she could "sustain black support " while running against an African-American. Ironically, thanks to Sen. Barack Obama's mixed white and Kenyan parentage and campaign mischief, it is he who usually gets to field the "black enough" question.

Although Clinton moon-walked away from Malveaux's direct question, she came before the 2,700-member journalist group with her designer set of promises. As president she said she would "call for a national response" to the crisis of neglect facing young black men. As part of her Youth Opportunity Agenda, she says the initiative flows from her belief that "it takes a [white] village to raise a child."

The national crisis with African-Americans, she said, concerned the "1.4 million young men of color between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out of school, and out of work and too often out of hope. It includes nearly one out of every three young African-American men. They're not earning legal wages or learning marketable skills; many grow up without fathers, locked up in prisons, or end up losing their lives, or taking lives, due to guns and violence."

Clinton said the problem is not a "moral crisis but an economic crisis," rejecting the "broad-brush" notion that paints the young black male "as a threat, as a headache or as a lost cause. I reject it as a string of disappointments, failures and casualties of a broken system. That's not who they are and that's not who they can be." She would call for expanding Headstart programs, increasing funding for schools and rehabilitation projects and tackling the excesses of the criminal justice system that tracks many of these young men into prisons.

"We have to keep talking about race," she said, "because race is a very significant issue for our country, for who we are as a country, for our role in the world." President Bill Clinton's 1995 Race Initiative, she said, was "either ignored or derided as being unnecessary, irrelevant ... I'm encouraged that more people are willing to have that conversation now."

With Obama appearing before the convention the next day, Clinton, not unexpectedly, talked more than usual about race before the 32-year-old organization. She sharply contrasted the diversity of the Democratic candidates with the all-white-male Republican candidates.

"I am really thrilled to be running at a time in our history when, on a stage, you can see an African-American man, a Hispanic man and a woman."

In a smaller meeting with a group of columnists, Clinton said she doesn't "believe in [slavery] reparations," but sees a need to "repair the breach that has left too many of our citizens behind." She was asked about the breach left by the 1995 Federal Communications Commission bill her husband signed that sharply reduced black ownership of radio and TV stations when tax incentives were removed. While admitting to "harsh" Clinton administration compromises with unfortunate consequences during the reign of the Newt Gingrich-dominated, GOP congress, the junior senator from New York said she didn't know what she would do about the resulting "media consolidation," were she elected president.

In a moment of levity with the black columnists, Clinton joked about how, as a flat-toned midwesterner, she sometimes lapses into a drawl in the South and tends to drop her "g's" more around black audiences. In a snide reference to author Toni Morrison's comment that her husband was the "first black president," she mused:

"I do find myself dropping g's. I lived all those years in Arkansas, and, you know, I'm in this interracial marriage."

Perhaps this is a more accurate portrayal of Hillary and brothers and sisters...oh I kid..really:

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Please excuse the delayed broadcasts but Afronerd Radio will be back tomorrow at 8pm in full form. We will do a week in review program discussing some news worthy stories that have occurred in the last week, meanderings within the blog and respective comments/emails. We would also like to hear from you-our listeners/readers. Feel free to call in with your opinions. Consider it a "free-style" Sunday. You guys know the drill-call in at-646-915-9620 or IM/email will suffice at (afronerdradio@yahoo). And lastly, you can always use our chat room feature at afronerdradio dot com. Be there and Be Square.

Friday, August 10, 2007

I will weigh in on this in a few but I want to submit this to our readers first.

Procter & Gamble Ignites National Conversation on Beauty Among African American Women

P&G/ESSENCE Poll Reveals Overwhelming Majority of African American Women Say that They are Portrayed "Worse" than Other Racial Groups in the Media.

Procter & Gamble Unveils "My Black is Beautiful;" Elicits Support from More than 3,000 Journalists, Business and Community Leaders During 2007 National Association of Black Journalists Convention

Cincinnati, OH and Las Vegas, NV (BlackNews.com) - Procter & Gamble (P&G) today announced the launch of My Black is Beautiful, a program designed to ignite and support a sustained national conversation by, for and about black women. The initiative was created to serve as the catalyst for a movement that affects positive change in the way African American women are reflected in popular culture.

Results from a P&G/ESSENCE poll show that 77 percent of African American women are "concerned" about the way they are portrayed in popular media. The vast majority, 71 percent, say that they are portrayed "worse" than other racial groups in the media. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that teens are negatively influenced by those images. Recognizing that beauty and self-confidence are intrinsically linked, P&G will introduce My Black is Beautiful and release the results of the consumer survey during National Association of Black Journalists Convention (NABJ), slated for August 8-12, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"My Black is Beautiful is a celebration of the personal and collective beauty of African American women and encourages them to define and promote a beauty standard that is an authentic reflection of their spirit," said Najoh Tita Reid, P&G Multicultural Marketing Director. "We not only celebrate our own awesome beauty, but we want to empower Black women to challenge those who would see or portray us otherwise."

Key components under development include a multi-city My Black is Beautiful Conversation Tour and the release of a discussion guide to encourage women to facilitate or participate in a conversation cluster in their local communities. Consumers can more learn about the campaign and access the booklet online at www.myblackisbeautiful.com, at select retail store and in national magazines. Additionally, P&G has created a My Black is Beautiful community trust fund. We will continue to issue actions grants to community-based organizations dedicated to the health, education and empowerment of African American young women. A grant of $50,000, underwritten by Tampax and Always, awarded to and shared by the W.E.B. Dubois Society, GirlSpirit-Women Song Inc. and Urban Academy in June.

"Over our 37 year history, ESSENCE has embodied the strength and beauty of African American women. We proudly stand with P&G as they invite women across the country to come together in their homes, libraries, community centers, schools and churches to share their perspectives on the issues that are important to us," said Angela Burt-Murray, editor-in-chief ESSENCE.